Guide to asset management of old masonry waterfront walls

Guidance on the inspection, maintenance and rehabilitation of masonry waterfront walls.

Documents

External link: Guide to asset management of old masonry waterfront walls

Details

The Environment Agency has worked with the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) and other partners to produce this free guide to the asset management of old masonry waterfront walls. It’s concerned with the inspection, maintenance and rehabilitation of waterfront walls and is an update to the 1992 ‘Old Waterfront Walls ’ guide from CIRIA.

Old waterfront walls are defined as gravity walls of masonry, concrete blockwork, brickwork or mass concrete with vertical or near-vertical exposed faces fronting onto the sea, river, canal, lake or dock. They can be composed of thin masonry facings to rock or cohesive soil but exclude revetments, sloping sea defences, dams, sheet piled walls and reinforced concrete structures.

This guide assists owners, asset managers, engineers and contractors by giving guidance on:

  • the fundamentals of historic waterfront wall design and construction techniques
  • the loads and processes acting on the wall
  • risk management
  • the influence of legislation
  • techniques for the inspection, maintenance and repair of these structures

This project ran from 2013 to 2015.

Published 23 February 2021